The Town

Movie review by S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media
The Town Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 17+

Strong, suspenseful, mature drama about a life of crime.

R 2010 125 minutes
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Parents say

age 16+

Based on 11 reviews

Kids say

age 14+

Based on 28 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this gritty, tension-filled thriller directed by Ben Affleck about a crew of Boston bank robbers has plenty of excitement -- and plenty of graphic violence. The main characters are drawn into high-powered shoot-outs with the cops that leave several people dead or dying in pools of blood (two characters are shot in the head on screen). There are several bar scenes with a good bit of drinking, as well as near-constant swearing ("f--k" "s--t," and more). There are a few sex scenes, too, but, ultimately, it's the realistic, intense violence that parents really need to watch out for.

Community Reviews

Pres
Pres Adult
September 12, 2020
age 18+

Gratuitous Nudity

Tired of the movies that throw in the gratuitous nudity and strip club scenes that add ZERO value to the movie. Without this, the movie would be 2 1/2 stars.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
1 person found this helpful.
CinemaReviews21
CinemaReviews21 Adult
March 26, 2022
age 14+

THE TOWN(2010)

THE TOWN (2010) The Town is Ben Affleck turn on bank heists movies. This movie tell the mature story of a bank heist group as they try to stay clear of the FBI. NONSPOILERS: VIOLENCE 3/5: I made is hit with the butt of a gun multiple times resulting in a bloody head wound (Not to graphic). Multiple people are shot in the chest and head (Not very graphic). I mad it beat up with a sledgehammer hammer and a baton and shot in the leg twice, blood shown(medium graphic). Multiple action styled car chases with crashes and explosions(Not graphic, Marvel level violence). A cop is shot in the chest with an assault rifle point blank(No blood). A women is held hostage and blindfolded with a gun to her head(not as bad as it sounds and she is let go). Multiple banks are robbed. Multiple shootouts(medium to non graphic). A SWAT is shot in the chest and screams as he is dragged away(Medium Graphic). People are stunned with flash grenades. A story of someone’s mom hanging herself(medium graphic). LANGUAGE 4.5/5: Frequent F words and Sh*t. Uses of crap,damn,c*cks etc. swearing mainly happens during fire fights and action so some words may be muted out a little but most you can hear fine. SEX AND NUDITY 1/5: A blink and miss it clip of a bare breasted stripper(I actually missed the scene the first time I watched the movie).Passionate Kissing(PG-13 level kissing). Drugs: A man is arrested in his house and drugs are shown.(Mild) SPOILERS: VIOLENCE: A main character is shot in the chest and as he stands up he gets nailed straight in the head with an assault rifle round, blood and exit wound shown from a distance(Probably the most graphic scene in the movie although it only lasts like 10 seconds. Medium-High Graphic.) A main character is shot multiple times in the chest and crashed his car into an armored truck killing him. You see the aftermath where he is shown bloody against the steering wheel(Medium Graphic). A main character gets shot in the leg and chunk comes off. You see it only for a second from a far distance(Mild). A character “technically “ kills himself by standing up in front of a bunch of cops with guns in his hands causing them to shoot him multiple times(Medium graphic, you see little blood gun shot wounds ). A side character is shot in the head with a pistol point blank. Very fast. (Medium, if you blink you miss it). A main character is shot multiple times in the chest with a pistol causing him to fall down bloody. The main character walks up to him and points his gun at his crouch and shooting it. The screen turns black before you see anything and all you hear is the gunshot.(Medium graphic)

This title has:

Too much swearing
See all 11 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) leads a band of professional bank robbers that includes his childhood best friend, Jem (Jeremy Renner). It's all he knows after botching a future in pro hockey (thanks to drugs), and it's a life he treasures -- even though it has both nurtured and wrecked him. On one of their heists, the gang abducts a bank manager, Claire (Rebecca Hall), whom they let go once they're clear of the cops. But Jem's convinced that she'll get them in trouble, so Doug, sensing Jem's instability, decides to shadow her to see whether she'll become a liability. After getting to know her, Doug begins to entertain the possibility of starting over, perhaps with her -- a plan that Jem may not allow. Meanwhile, time is running out: An FBI agent (Jon Hamm) is nipping at their heels.

Is It Any Good?

With a deft hand, Affleck, who also directs, creates a fully rendered picture in THE TOWN of a man poised at a crossroads. Should he put the life he has lived thus far in, as he says, "the rear view," or commit to the path that has both nurtured and wrecked him? We sympathize with him despite the fact that he's essentially the bad guy -- even though he's not the baddest of the bunch. That "honor" falls to Jem, who frightens with his unpredictability and volatility, a cocktail that discomfits the audience thanks to Renner's enormous talent.

Most everyone, in fact, brings their A-game, from Hall to the bit players. (The gifted Hamm, however, surprisingly rates a B-plus; he's strong, but he doesn't seem as comfortable in this skin as he playing Mad Men's Don Draper.) So it's no wonder the disappointment that comes with the ending feels like a sucker punch: The last three minutes are too Hollywood, too Shawshank Redemption (without the originality), so far removed from the authentic Charlestown that Affleck has masterfully depicted during the 122 minutes that came before it. The wrap-up undercuts the fim -- though luckily, not entirely. What a statement The Town would have been had Affleck not given in to the inclination for a tidy, bow-tied ending.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about "good guys" vs. "bad guys." Do you think someone who steals for a living should be portrayed as the "hero" of a movie? Do you think the criminals in this film come across as more competent than the cops?

  • Are there any obvious role models in this movie? What message do you think it's trying to send?

  • Do you think Doug MacRay is destined to become a bank robber like his father? How hard is it for him to escape this lifestyle?

Movie Details

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    Powerful performances in graphic story. Only 16+.

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